Lucky Music: Moe Cafe
by RezleVettems
Summary: The final segment of the Lucky Summer/Future Series! Konata and the band begin their work in Tokyo, Kagami arrives at college and everyone else sets into a new life. Even day one seems to be against them! Now with less gay angst and more sexy!
1. Chapter 1: First Day in Tokyo

Lucky Music: Moe Café

Chapter 1: First Day in Tokyo

Kagami quietly opened the door to Konata's dark room, hearing her faint breathing through the night's cicadas' cries outside. Tiptoeing until she found herself at the side of the bed, she knelt down and softly caressed Konata's soft cheeks. Her blue eyes slowly began to glide across the otaku's petite body in admiration and desire. "I must have you," Kagami drooled in perversion. She reached for the buttons on Konata's pajamas and began to unlock the cloth wall that hid away Konata's succulent body. "Even if you are asleep, I must explore your body."

"I'm up Kagamin," Konata grinned. "Come to me. I want it rough and sloppy tonight!"

"Anything for you Konata, I love to love you, especially your body," peacefully noted the ecstatic tsundere. "Just don't forget to email me."

"Sure, anything you say….wait, what?"

"Email me. You have to. Did you forget? You have to email me."

"Wait. This is weird. Why would I email you, you're right here," Konata muttered, sitting up in the bed. Kagami's eyes began to water. Her body trembled in misery. "Email me Konata. You know how lonely I get Konata, email me please. Email me. Email me. Email me."

Konata suddenly awoke from the dream, realizing where she was. Skimming the dark room, she could see bare walls ready for decoration. The light sound of cars driving through the street created a nightlife kind of ambience. Directly ahead of her hummed her laptop. "Tokyo…" Konata sleepily mumbled, wiping the drool from her lips. The memories flew back to her. Tonight was her first night in Tokyo with the band. She had promised to email Kagami when she arrived, a task she had yet completed.

Hours ago….

Lightened afternoon traffic pleasantly greeted the girls into the city of Tokyo, the capital of Japan and business empire of the country. Patricia carefully drove her packed car through the new intersects and rare traffic jams as Hiyori, Akira and Konata happily looked out the windows in search of their apartment building, their new home. Lantis studio passed by quickly, existing as a tower of achievement and expectations to the newcomers. Humming happily to herself, Akira bounced her feet of the backseat cushions as she stared out the window. _"A new start."_

With the potential stringing at her heart, she turned back to Konata, giving off a warm smile as if saying _thank you_. The blue haired girl simply nodded back. _No problem._

"There it is!" Hiyori cheered, tapping the window. Beyond the cars beside them and the green, clean park stood their new home-a red bricked apartment building surrounded by sparse row of trees. Driving into the parking garage behind it, the girls leapt out of the car with excitement. Whatever fitted into their small arms was carried away to the elevator. "Wait for me!" Patricia begged, turning off the engine. She was forced to run after the girls, making it in time before the elevator doors closed. "I know we're excited but…who am I kidding?! Our new home is just a few seconds away!"

"I live on the floor above you guys, just so you know," Hiyori explained. "It's room 228."

"I'll make a note of that," Konata said. "But right now, the most important thing to do is to email Kagami. I promised her I would once we made it to Tokyo."

Sensing an excited movement, she turned towards Akira whose arms swung back and forth. Her fingers curled and unraveled rapidly and her feet nearly hopped off the floor. "Can't wait to see it, huh?" Konata grinned.

"Today's going to be a brand new start," Akira cheerfully replied. "I can't help myself." The elevators slid open. Akira raced to the front, feeling her foot hit the gap between the floor and the elevator. About to fall to the ground, Konata grabbed the back of her collar and pulled her back. "I gotcha," she said. "Try to be a little more careful."

"Thanks," Akira quietly said, disappearing down the hall the second she was released. "I guess we better catch up with her," Patricia smiled, exiting the elevator.

"Call me if you guys need any help," Hiyori said, remaining inside the box. Konata waved her off before joining her companions. Both girls waited for Konata's arrival, holding back their squeals before sticking their key into the door. "Here it is," Patricia declared. "The new home of Moe Café!"

To the left was the spacious living room, the potential spot for a couch already seen near the wall behind it. To the right was the kitchen, though small, it held all necessary requirements to survive while nearly sparkling despite the gray color that had floated about the apartment. "We just need some lights in here and this place will be all bright, don't ya think?" Patricia commented, poking her head into the rooms. The bathroom and one bedroom lied in a hallway after the living room. Another bedroom stood in the hallway behind the kitchen and at the furthest reaches was the last room, isolated by it's depth in the apartment.

"I'll take the far one," Konata said. "When we came to check this place out I noticed it was perfect for me. Besides, a yaoi fangirl like Patricia will need all the room she can get. You can take the room near the living room and Akira can take the room behind the kitchen."

With the planning already finished, the girls headed to their individual abodes, exploring the new space and tossing their luggage about on the beds. Konata gently unloaded her luggage onto her bed which rested before a dresser. Placing her laptop there, she turned it on without hesitation. "I wonder how Kagami's doing." Her phone began to vibrate. Popping it open, she already knew it wasn't Kagami. "Miyuki? How's it going? We're already in Tokyo. Are you here yet?"

"Well…um…it seems as if I don't know exactly where I am," Miyuki said, panting as she flipped her map around. "I walked off the train and into Tokyo Station but I can't tell where I am from this map. I think I'm lost!"

"It's okay, we'll come down to help you," Konata said. "We have to go to the studio anyway so at least it'll save us the trouble."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for being such a burden." Konata looked at her computer, it wasn't completely set up yet and Miyuki would only panic further if they didn't get their quick. Stepping out of her room, she could hear beds springing. "Women! A moe meganekko is lost in Tokyo City!"

"We have to save her!" Patricia cheered as she ran out of her room.

"Okay…I guess I'll come," Akira unenthusiastically replied. The three locked the apartment and headed towards the Tokyo Train Station. Even from afar the girls could see the bright blob of pink hair nervously pacing back and forth in a panic. "Miyuki!" Konata joyously waved.

"Konata! Thank you for helping me!" Miyuki humbly bowed. "I'm afraid I can't make sense of these directions I have printed."

"That doesn't seem like you," Patricia said. "You must be overly excited about going to Tokyo University. Don't worry; it's not too far off from our apartment so we can come over and help you anytime." A sigh of relief could be seen in the girl as she heard that. She felt a slight shame coming to a city with a map and still losing her senses. To her though, the pleasant sound of her friends' laughter and the warmth of being with them once again melted that emotion away. "Oh! I'm getting a call from the manager," Patricia said, pulling her phone out. "Yeah, uh huh, uh huh. Guys, he wants to have a meeting with us to discuss some matters like design and themes. I told him we can come to the studio after dropping Miyuki off. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Akira said.

"Yes," reluctantly answered Konata. She would have to wait to send her email to Kagami. Gazing serenely at the promise ring on her finger, she sighed. "Don't get lonely Kagami."

* * *

As those words were muttered a purple haired, pigtailed girl stood before the Kyoto University campus, smiling with pride and determination. "Here I am," Kagami said. "Kyoto University where I'll become a lawyer." In a year she would meet Konata at the Golden Pavilion, their promised spot. For now, she had to focus on the most essential priorities. "Where's the dorms? I need to email Konata. Excuse me," she called out, picking a bystander. He seemed young enough to attend classes there. "Could you tell me where the dormitories are please? I'm new here."

"Oh sure, they're just down that path," the boy pointed. "If you want, I could show you around the campus sometime. Maybe take you out for a drink."

"Sorry, I'm a lesbian," she blurted. Red began to flow into her face. What reckless confessions! "B-bye!" she said, running from the scene. "I'm too use to being with that big mouth Konata."

Successfully locating the dorms past the library, her eyes navigated the map until she found her room number. 561. Heading through the halls, she could see students unpacking and shaking hands with their new roommates. _"I wonder who I'll be paired up with." _Running faster, she grabbed the knob to her room and opened the door. "Hello? Anybody here?" No answer.

"I guess my roommate didn't arrive yet…what's this?" Noticing an envelope on the desk, she ripped the sealing and opened it up. Printed on the papers inside were directions on living conditions, curfews and information about expenses. Inside also laid the tag listing the inhabitants of the room. Seeing her name, she read the bottom of the slip for her potential roommate's name as well. Nothing. It was blank. "Impossible…no roommate. So I'm all alone in here?"

Plopping back onto the bed, she sadly sighed. "I guess that means more room for me…though I would prefer to have somebody as a friend here…anybody. I miss you…Konata. Oh! The email!" Whipping out her laptop, she plugged it into the wall, gleefully humming a new song. With at least email as a way of contact she would never be lonely. Once the desktop popped up, she clicked on the internet. "What's this? No connection?" Angrily moaning, she pulled out the manual to the dorms once more. It read that online connections would not be on until the end of the week. "Crap! I need to find a place to email Konata!" She remembered the library she saw earlier.

Making sure to lock her room, she headed towards the library in hopes that their computers had internet. When she arrived, the doors wouldn't budge. "What's this?" she asked as she pulled at the doors. Taped to the entrance was a piece of paper. "The library won't be open until the end of the week too?! What kind of place is this? My phone needs to recharge too, I was hoping to email her…I'll find an internet café!" Running off, she could tell this day was going to be rough.

* * *

Konata and the group walked through the studio, she focused more on her search for a usable computer, and anything was fine. Unfortunately the receptionists were hard at work and no lobby or lounge could be seen for a while. The producers and manager wanted to speak with the band as soon as possible to discuss various issues about their image. Any other day she would be excited to do so but her top objective was emailing Kagami. No phone call would do, especially since the studio had no reception.

Stepping into the manager's office, the girls sat down and began their discussion. The plans were laid out for new releases over a span of the next season. They wanted to release something before the fall where major bands would be selected to play new opening themes for the highly popular Shonen Jump anime. The playful yet mature theme of the band was selected along with suggestions for costume design. Through all this Konata heeded little attention, anticipating her release from the Kagamiless torment. "Don't worry," Akira said.

"Hmm?"

"I won't let the studio hide anything from us. I've been in the business for a long time so I know how contracts and the profit system work out," the small girl explained.

"I trust you," Konata smiled. "I have no worries." Akira lightly blushed from the confident statement. She would take the position as a guide for this band seriously. Nothing would tear them apart or ruin their dreams. Patricia flipped through a pamphlet of fashion styles, pointing out her favorite to the girls. Her choices were rather Lolita and gothic. Akira didn't care either way and Konata voiced her preference to pop-styled and street clothing. A blend would be decided between the two, a sort of street Lolita theme that would portray maturity and playfulness.

With the meeting over, the girls exited the studio. Konata could no longer wait. Flipping her cell phone open, she held the number 2 button for speed dial. "Sorry for the inconvenience," a voice recorder said, "but you have not paid your phone bill. Until then all services will be cut until complete payment is made."

"I didn't pay my phone bill?!" Konata said in shock. "How could I forget?"

Patricia stretched her arms into the darkening sky. "We've had a busy day. We should just eat out tonight." Akira nodded in agreement, pointing a diner across the street.

"Fate must be against me and my sexy Kagami," Konata whined.

"It's okay, you can make it until we go back to the apartment," Akira reassured, dragging Konata by the arm.

* * *

"Fate must be against me and Konata," Kagami whined, watching every seat at the internet café fill up. "Come on! That guy's watching anime! I have a lover to talk to!" she fussed as she watched from the windows outside. "Better head to the next café." Pulling out her map, she continued to walk down the street, finding another café instantly. Stepping into the unusually humid building, she could see her fears justified. "This place is packed too?!"

Dashing out, she ran to the next one. "Crammed!" The next one. "Stuffed! How many people don't have computers?! This is the modern age!!"

The closest one was at least three miles away. She had to make the trip. Walking through the brisk night, she tightened her jacket. "I got to send her an email. See how she's doing. But she has Akira and Patricia with her. Miyuki's at Tokyo right down the street and Hiyori's in the same building right? How come I'm the only one who's alone?" Minutes later, she caught sight of the café and began to run towards it. Joyfully staring through the window, she could see several vacant computers. As she opened the door, a group of people ran out in a panic. "Fire!" they yelled.

"What? A fire?" Looking into the café, Kagami could see the computers blazing. "What happened here?!"

"One of the computers began to overheat!" the owner moaned. "Someone call the fire department! My business is going to hell!!" Kagami heavily sighed and unfolded her map in frustration. The next internet café was ten miles away; she couldn't possibly walk that distance. "I guess I'll grab something to eat and go back home."

* * *

Ordering one by one, the girls finally sat back and embraced their new environment. "So," Patricia said. "This is our new city. Let's make it fun."

"Yeah, the best experience ever," Konata grinned. Patricia then rose from her seat, heading towards the bathroom. Konata looked at Akira who peeked at the dessert menu out of slight boredom. "How are you feeling?"

"Me? I'm okay. Why? Is anything wrong?" Akira asked, abandoning the dessert menu.

"No. I just wanted to make sure you were happy with everything. With the band and moving to Tokyo."

"For the first time in my life…I'm…genuinely happy," Akira smiled. "And it's thanks to you. I'll make sure this band doesn't get screwed over. We should all try our best." Lighting a cigarette, Akira casually let out a breath of smoke.

"Excuse me," a waitress said, coming up to the table. "This is a non-smoking area. Could you please put your cigarette out?" Grunting in response, Akira had no plan to do such a thing. She then caught sight of Konata's worried expression on her face, the curled eyebrows and pointing eyes. Carrying her ashtray, Akira killed the flames and tossed the cigarette out.

"Akira…I wanted to talk about that too, your smoking. I want you to quit," Konata said.

"I know, it's a bad habit. But since I won't be dealing with all the stress of working for my parents I won't need it," Akira said.

* * *

Moaning and swinging her tired arms, Kagami entered the nearest diner, plans to devour large masses of food already cooking in her head. As luck would have it, it was a cosplay café. "I don't care anymore," Kagami sighed, following the maid to her table. "At least they're not boldly dressed like those cafes Konata likes to go to."

"May I take your order?" the waitress nicely asked.

"Ah…I'll need a few minutes to pick som….Tsukasa?!"

"Kagami?!"

"What are you doing here?" Kagami shouted.

"Please calm down, you'll make people think I'm doing a bad job."

"Sorry, sorry. But Tsukasa…why are you here in Kyoto? I thought…well…I never really knew your plans after high school," Kagami resigned.

"I'm studying to be a chef at Kyoto University," she explained. "Though I'm a late entry so they haven't even assigned me a room yet and my letter of acceptance came rather late."

"I was worried because you suddenly left and Mom and Dad refused to tell me where you went. They said I would find out for myself. I guess this is the surprise," Kagami chuckled. "A chef huh? It suits you…a little. Now that I really think about it, it doesn't suit you at all…"

"K-kagami! I'm really trying my best here," Tsukasa defended.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you can be a great chef Tsukasa, I was only kidding," Kagami waved off. "So, what services does a maid provide?"

"Well, you can use our computers for a limited time. You get two free snacks and one free drink. And-"

"Wait! You guys have computers?!"

"Y-yes, we do."

"With internet?"

"Why else would people go on?" Tsukasa nervously replied.

"I'll go now!!" declared Kagami, pulling a chair and typing away. Her excitement soon dwindled. "These computers are infected with too many viruses! How can I use them when they go so slow? Then again what kind of people are using these things?"

* * *

"I'm so full!" Konata loudly moaned, walking up the stairs to the apartment room. Patricia and Akira followed, holding their heavy stomachs. The elevator broke down while they were gone; there was truly no mercy in the world! "We have to make it…I need…I want to sleep," Akira whined.

"Mama, Papa, your daughter will die on a staircase," Patricia cried out.

"Just hold it out troops," Konata tiredly cheered on. "We'll make it! Just a few more floors!"

Swinging the door open, the three dragged their weary bodies to their beds and fell over, instantly into a cozy, relaxing slumber. After her erotic dream, Konata crawled over to the laptop and pulled the cover open. Connecting to the internet, she logged in to her email. "Better make it short for now…I'm too tired to go on without sleep."

"_Dear Kagami,_

_We've arrived in Tokyo today and it sure was busy. Unfortunately we had a lot to do and just getting an internet connection or phone reception was difficult. I'm so tired right now so let me just say one thing, I love you my sexy Kagami. I hope your college is ending up a nice place. Don't forget to check you bag later, I…."_

Konata began to faintly snore once again. Her last action was letting her finger click the Send button. Kagami, who busily typed away on the virus-infected computer at the café, finished writing hers, sending it as soon as possible. The instant she did, Konata's message popped up on screen. "Konata…." She said, surprised by the timing. Reading the email slowly and savoring every word, she hated to admit it but her heart leapt with joy and her eyes watered. She didn't forget to send it. Neither did Kagami. And in the morning Konata would wake up to the brief message Kagami sent her.

"_It's Kagami, your Kagamin. I made it to college but there's no internet so I have to use a crappy infected computer. It takes too long to type and it's getting late so I'll say one thing before I go. I love you Konata and good luck with the band. I'll talk to you every day."_

Returning to her dorm, Kagami decided to forget the bath and just go to sleep. Oddly enough the door to her room was unlocked. Opening it slowly, Kagami was shocked to see a girl inside unpacking. "Tsukasa?!"

"Kagami! They put me in here with you! They said I could choose a room by myself or with someone who lived alone."

Kagami didn't care for the reason. Walking up to Tsukasa she wrapped her arms around her and smiled. "I won't be so alone after all in here. I was worried."

"It's okay Kagami," Tsukasa blushed, patting her sister's back.

"I better check my bag now before I forget," Kagami said, pulling it from under the bed. "Konata said I should check it. Aha! She packed something in here when I wasn't looking! A…a webcam?"

"Oh, you can use those to have video conversations with people across the internet," Tsukasa explained. Kagami already knew that. Honestly, she was touched by the notion. She had never thought of such a solution. With this she could always see Konata, with her own eyes. "What's this? A note is taped to it."

"_Kagami, please do sexy strip shows with this webcam. I can't hold out without your sexy booty shaking across my computer screen!"_

"Only she could ruin a sentimental moment without actually being here!" Kagami fussed, tossing the note into the trash.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm back? I'm actually back?

Otaku Helper: You are. We are I mean. But why Author? Why did it take so long?

Author: Hey, I have my own life and the excuses I could spew out are endless. Just be glad we're back!

Otaku: Only one more month from now and it will be the one year anniversary of Lucky Summer.

Author: You actually remember that? What a loser. But forget that! I'm back! Ultimate cheers! Also, I am interested in hearing if my writing has improved, remained the same, has no effect on your actual reading process or has worsened. After all this time it would be nice to see what others think. That's really a major reason why I keep writing fanfics, to improve my writing. So any constructive criticism and explanations are highly appreciated! Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2:First Day at School

Lucky Music: Moe Café

Chapter 2: First Day

Their early morning breakfast had just ended, leaving the girls ready for the upcoming day. Akira came out of her room with happiness bouncing in every step she took. Beyond the smile was the noticeable and new school uniform she branded. Swinging her backpack onto her shoulder, she waved off Patricia and Konata. "See ya! I'm going to school!" She excitedly squealed. "Good luck and have fun Akira!" Patricia said, instantly returning to the thin paperwork on the kitchen table.

Konata only raised one hand up from behind the couch. "I agree. Have a good day at school!" With their well wishes, Akira was off, walking the short distance between the new apartment called "home" and the new school blocks away. The footsteps echoed back into the room where Konata began to lift the back of her hair, wrapping a yellow bow along the roots. Swinging the new ponytail to and fro, she could tell it was perfect. "I think I've grown a bit."

Patricia started to carry her pencil in between her lips by the tip, thinking about what to write on the papers before her. Konata's statement had hardly reached her ears. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Yeah. I think I might have grown a little taller. Isn't that strange? Shouldn't I stop growing by now?" Konata asked, staring at her legs. "Just measure yourself. I think I packed measuring tape in my suitcase. And don't forget to write a few song ideas or something," Patricia reminded. Her pencil was now between her thumb and finger, pointing at the blue haired otaku. "I'm trying to do as much as I can before I go to school in an hour."

"Don't worry, I already got a few ideas. I just need to write them down. I hope the album sells well," Konata mumbled, pulling a seat at the kitchen table. "What do we need, like, 7 songs for it? That seems like a lot for us newbies."

"As long as we can make it work, it'll be wonderful right?" Patricia cheered. Konata could only smile and respond with a thumbs-up. "I wonder how Akira is going to do at school today. Especially since it's her first day there," muttered Konata, resting her head on her arms.

"Akira is really happy though so I guess it doesn't matter. Ever since we got here she's been happier. She smiles so much more than before."

"I think she can thank you for that Konata," grinned Patricia. The blonde jotted down a few more lyrics before saying anything else. "I'm confident she will be fine because of you."

"So flattering so early," Konata grinned. "I didn't do that much for her…oh! I better check my updates for the online classes. I just wished Kagami was here for me to copy off of, then again colleges form more anti-cheating methods every single day…"

Walking down the surprisingly spacious hallway towards her room, Konata slipped past the opened door and plopped down into her chair at the computer. It was already on so all she had to do was move the mouse and the colors returned to the monitor. A strange icon flashed on her mail toolbar. "What's this? A video email trying to connect?" The second she realized who could have sent it she clicked it. Kagami's face immediately popped onto the screen. "Kagamin!"

"O-oh!! Konata! G-good morning!" the tsundere nervously replied, already blushing at the sudden appearance of her lover. Konata devilishly grinned as she moved closer to the camera lodged atop her laptop. "Good morning Kagamin. I've missed you."

"I…miss you too Konata."

"So, where's my striptease? The instructions I left with the camera were clear enough, no?" Konata monotonously stated.

"I'm not doing something so risky online, especially when people can hack and record you without warning," protested the pig tailed girl. Konata understood, it was only a joke. "You say you won't do it online, does that me and I get a live-action private show?" Konata slyly asked, moving closer to the camera. Kagami could feel the glee oozing to her screen. "I'll…think about it," Kagami blushed. "But enough about that, how was your move?"

"It was great. There's more than enough room for all three of us, Miyuki just arrived too. Got lost on her first day, we had to help her," Konata cheerily shrugged. "But that's all part of being cute. And Akira seems a lot happier now, she still has a few problems to work out but…I'm really proud of the change she's made."

"And I'm proud of you for helping her," Kagami replied. "I like your ponytail too."

"And I thank you for talking to me after you come out of the shower. You have that steamed, relaxed, radiant look I like. I also like those little bags under your eyes when you've just woke up. Rough first day?" Konata asked.

"Not really if you ignore the hell I had to go through just trying to find a vacant internet café. All the computers and wifi connections were shut down at the dorms," Kagami noted. "By the time I gave up and came back they were turned on and I was too tired."

"Same with me, we were too busy with all sorts of stuff. We talked to the band manager and picked out costumes and now we need to make songs for the first album," Konata informed. The otaku could easily see the worried curl in Kagami's brow. Something was on her mind. "Hey Konata, could I see the costume you're going to wear when you sing? I know it seems really insecure but-"

"No need to worry Kagami. I'm not wearing anything too revealing. My flat body is yours to mangle," Konata grinned. "Besides, we can't wear what we originally planned yet. The company wants us to pay for costumes since we're new and we can't afford it right now so we're forced to wear brand name clothing as advertisement. But you know, there's still one thing I won't ever take off."

Raising her hand to the camera, Konata showed off the ring on her finger. "Our promise ring…" Kagami sweetly said. "I'm glad you still have it."

"I wouldn't toss it aside. Besides, the only thing that could get this off my fingers is another ring, and you know exactly what that's for don't you, _honey?_" Kagami began to choke on her own spit, unable to recover from Konata's bold statement. "Don't think so far ahead Konata…though…it really wouldn't be too far…"

"The shower water is too hot if you turn it too far," Tsukasa said as she rubbed her shoulders, stepping out of the steamy bathroom with only a towel to veil her body. Kagami quickly turned around. "Tsukasa, you better-"

The towel slipped off. "Whoops," the naïve girl casually said, bending down and wrapping it over her again. "Good morning Tsukasa. Now I've seen both Hiiragi twins naked," Konata grinned. A spine-tingling sensation crawled down Tsukasa's back at the sound of the voice. Turning towards the computer, she could see Konata staring back at her.

"W-why is Konata in the computer?!"

"Idiot. I was trying to warn you. I got a camera for the computer so I can talk to Konata. You just pranced in here, getting naked and laughing it off," Kagami grunted. "And you better not be enjoying yourself Konata."

"I can't help myself. Tsukasa might be legal now but she's still loli meat to me," Konata teased. "But Kagami, I'm glad to see Tsukasa's with you. I knew you'd get lonely by yourself or with a stranger."

"I can take care of myself," Kagami replied, twirling her finger around a curl of hair before leaning back. "Besides, I would at least have you to talk to…"

"Admit it, you would have been lonely," Konata continued. "I want to hear you confess your emotions to me!"

"Be quiet. I would have been fine."

"Come on. Just let it all out and say how much you've missed me. I miss you tons. Just wanna squeeze you through the screen." Konata's fingers began to curl like a claw ready to grope. "Well," Kagami smiled. "Unfortunately we're out of time, my class is going to start soon so I'll talk to you later."

"Fiend! Don't turn the video off. Your loli wife demands it!"

Kagami pressed the off button, shutting down the camera. A victorious grin curved onto her face, knowing Konata couldn't make her confess today. "She already knows I'm lonely without her or Tsukasa." The otaku stared blankly at the vanished window where Kagami's face used to be only seconds ago. "She really hates to admit that kind of stuff, doesn't she? Ooh! That gives me an idea for a song!" She then pulled one of the thin drawers at the desk and took out a handful of paper. "What should I call it? 'My Hiding Tsundere'? 'Sexy Bunny'? What inspiration from my distant honey!"

"Konata?" Patricia called out, knocking on the door before coming in.

"Patty? Don't worry, I'm working on the music right now."

"Oh no. It's not about that. I just wanted to tell you to pick up Akira from school today while I go grocery shopping. I gotta fill up the fridge."

"No problem. I planned to anyway."

Relaxed and stiff, Akira stood before the two story school behind the cement gates before her. It was difficult to pinpoint when she stopped attending school, sometimes she would even forget if she was supposed to be in middle or high school. A few boys ran by her, talking about the latest episode of _Tenten Hero Drama_.

**Otaku Helper: This show is nonexistent, please don't look for it. You will only find NejixTenten fanfics from Naruto.**

"I almost forgot, these are the immature years aren't they?" Akira sighed. Yet her smile refused to leave. Taking her first step past the gates, she was now on school ground. Down the halls the occasional glance was shot at her. Did people recognize her already? She never really thought Lucky Channel or any of her other jobs really hit the high marks in ratings anyway. The salmon headed girl prayed for freedom from that life. Besides, she left it behind once she came to Tokyo with Konata.

"Here it is," Akira said in relief, slowly sliding the door open. The classroom was half empty, perfect for allowing her to choose the right seat. A seat close to the middle would be choice. No matter what, garnering attention was outlawed to herself. Picking a seat towards the right of the class, she gently placed her backpack onto the floor. It was a matter of minutes before class would start but shivers already took over. Without noticing, a bright eyed girl took a seat next to her. Akira could feel the blank stare directed at her already. _"Why is she looking at me so much? What's this chick's problem?"_

Her plain brown hair in miniature ponytails only emphasized the brightness on her round face. Those eyes nearly gleamed, almost unnaturally. "W-what are you looking at?" Akira asked, holding back her anger. The girl flinched, not realizing how long she h ad looking. "It's…your hair. It's pretty."

"My…hair? Thanks…" Akira mumbled, turning away in a light blush. "Yours isn't too bad either."

"My name's Koyomi."

"I'm Akira."

With every seat filled, the class quickly begun, starting with introductions. Pointing to the first student at the right most corner, the teacher planned to do it desk by desk. Failing to pay attention to her classmates, she could only focus on what she would say. What could she say? Up until now life was pretty hellish and all she did was work on shows. "Akira," the teacher called out, adjusting her glasses.

"Huh? Oh, my turn?" Akira muttered, returning focus to the class around her. They expected an introduction, some expected something else. "My name is Akira Kogami and I'm-"

"BYE-NEE!!" cheered a group of boys, flashing the familiar two-finger wave. Silent, she stood there, staring blankly at them. The trademark from her last show, what did this mean? She resisted every fiber in her being from not fussing at them, biting her lip to hold in the anger. _"They're making fun of me!"_

The teacher stood quietly in view, not knowing what to make of the situation. The only noticeable sight was Akira's bizarre expression between anger and resignation. "Actually…I don't like to talk about that show. I just want to be a normal kid from now," Akira smiled, faking a chuckle. "I don't want to be an actor for a while."

"I sure wish I had such a easy job," one of the boys said, practically ranting to her about it. "Yell at me and make money. I wouldn't even come to school."

"Well….lots of people want to take a break from that sort of life, right?" Akira smiled again, clenching her fist.

"Nah, that's just stupid. I would rather be a star."

"You mind saying that again?!" Akira grunted. Her foot moved further away from her desk. If he said something to even slightly offend her she would attack.

"O-okay class, that's enough," the teacher said. "Akira, I personally welcome you back to school and hope you have a wonderful year with us. I'm sure everyone in class would love to know you better as a person." Akira accepted the persuasion. Pushing her anger aside, she ignored the boys' ignorance and sat back down. Then again, it wasn't their fault for not knowing about her life. They were innocent of that.

"Are you okay Akira?" Koyomi asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Chiming loudly, the bells officially signaled the students' lunch break. "At long last!" Akira grinned. "I get to eat!" Light yet firm, Akira's bento box was brand new. She never needed one before but now that she attended school it was essential. Sliding it on the desk, she opened it as if it were a treasure chest. "Wow!" Koyomi said in awe. "Your lunch looks a billion times better than mine!"

"It's nothing," Akira grinned. "My mom…Konata, a friend of mine, taught me how to cook. She's a lot better than me."

"Wow, maybe you could teach me sometimes. My parents always ask me to cook but they know how bad I am. Then again they work so much they can barely cook for themselves anyway…"

"Sounds rough," Akira sympathized. "I'll…teach you some time then. I can't teach ya a lot but I know some basic foods you can-"

"BYE-NEE!" the boys cheered from the doorway, accompanied by the two finger sign.

"What the hell?" Akira mumbled. "Hey, could you please not do that in front of me? I hate that. It reminds me of that stupid show."

"Maybe if you do for us we'll stop," one boy said, clearly the leader of the pack.

"Nah, make her say some lines from the show or tell her to scratch her crotch like she does on the show!" another suggested.

"What the hell?! You guys messing with me?!" Akira growled. "Just quit it." Koyomi quietly scooted back.

Clapping started among the boys, a rather malicious applaud. "There it is! The badness! Cuss for us! God damn superstar, who wants to come back to school anyway? Dumbass!" Akira's face dropped in utter shock._ "They must want to die!"_ "I aint' doing no tricks for you! I'm not some stinking dog!"

"We just want to see some acting! What's your beef superstar? Not getting paid?"

Akira slammed her fist against the desk. "What the fuck?!" She pushed her desk aside and ran towards the leader. "You got some bone to pick with me asshole?"

"Look, she's treating me like Minoru! 'Sorry sensei! I'm just trying to do my job! I'm not upstaging you by any means!'" the boy imitated. The others laughed it off. Akira found a new opening to attack.

"I know why you're making fun of me, you're jealous because of your poor ass families right? I got money and you don't. That's why you have to settle for learning because no one wants to see your ugly mugs on television," she chuckled. Koyomi listened carefully. The leader came closer, his breath coming down onto Akira.

"What did you say?"

"Poor people are always the same. Can't stand to see someone better than you. No talent, no good looks, nothing of value to society. You guys are. Just. Jealous." Victory was hers. Suddenly a smirk wiped across the boys face. "They only good looks I'm getting…" he muttered.

A boy from behind gripped onto her skirt and dropped it to the ground. "Is at those panties!" Completely caught off guard, Akira felt a flush come over her face. The memories, the memories were pouring back in. This what the directors and producers did to her. This is what they did when she had to anything to get the role, the job. Anything. Before running down the hall, the boys attacked back with another "BYE-NEE!!"

Dropping to the floor, Akira grabbed her skirt and instantly rushed back up to her hips. The only thought now was to get them, no matter what. Charging down the hall, her prey's laughter only fueled her.

Whoever she could grab was doomed. Reaching out for their collars, she got the leader. "You want to laugh?! Laugh at this bastard!" she yelled. He never had time to dodge, the fist flew to fast. Akira didn't notice but a dent in the wall formed from the impact. She didn't stop. "You want to laugh?! Is it funny now?! All that bye-nee shit! Is it funny now?!" The beatings didn't stop, the blows kept coming. Until she saw blood from somewhere on his face, she wouldn't be satisfied. The tears weren't enough, the sobbing and pleads for mercy were to no avail in stopping her wrath.

Something pulled her back, sweeping her off her feet. One of the male teachers wrapped his arms over hers. Wiggling for freedom, she wanted to finish the job. The homeroom teacher quickly came to the scene, noticing the crying, bleeding boy against the wall. "Oh my god! Akira, what did you do?!"

Koyomi saw it too, following the entire scene as it played out. The expression of terror on her face was the only thing that stopped Akira from trying to break free. Her anger quickly eroded as she looked at the boy whose face was reddened and bruised. "What did I just do?" she asked herself.

"Konata, a phone call from the school," Patricia called out, holding the phone until the otaku came running to it from her distant room.

"Hello? This is Konata speaking," Konata greeted.

"Yes, this is the principal. Are you Akira's guardian? She told us to call you," he said.

"Y-yes, sort of. What's wrong? Did something happen to Akira?"

"She got into a fight and I'm suspending her for the rest of the day. I would like to talk to you about the incident. If it's not too much trouble, could you please come down here and pick her up?"

"Sure thing. Patricia, I gotta go get Akira. I'm taking the car," Konata said, grabbing the keys. She hurriedly slipped into her shoes and unlocked the apartment door.

"Konata? What happened? Is Akira okay?"

"She got into a fight at school."

"Really? Are you going to punish her?"

"Depends. Akira…she's a little sensitive so, she might have a reason for doing it. At the least, I might have to scold her," Konata said, not welcoming even the image of such a scene. Closing the door, she ran down the hall and took the elevator. Whatever was fastest was the method to go. Hopping into the car, she drove off towards the school, drifting into a parking space in front of the entrance. Entering the building, she didn't waste second to notice the cold air or echoing footsteps.

Following the map, she found the principal's office quickly, seeing Akira through the door's window. She hugged her knees, hiding her face from the world. "Akira?" Konata asked, opening the door lightly. The girl peeked from behind her knees. "Konata?"

Konata walked over to the chair, kneeling down on the ground before the girl. Her fingers glided across her pink hair. "Akira? Are you okay?"

"I will explain that," the principal said, inviting the both of them into the office.

The principal explained the situation, how the teachers had to hold Akira back, how the boy was beaten but recovering now in the nurse's office, and how the school was being merciful to Akira. "Since it's her first day, we will only suspend her for today."

"But what about Akira's side of the story?" Konata asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Akira's side of the story. I'm sure she must have been provoked or maybe she was being teased."

"Whatever the motivation, that doesn't justify her actions," the principal said, rejecting anything past that. Konata didn't want to fall into an argument, it would only worsen Akira's current ordeal. "Come on Akira, let's talk in the hallway." Akira nodded, following Konata out of the room. Konata wrapped her fingers around Akira's hand as they stepped out of the warm office and into the empty hallway. "Akira, what happened?"

"I…I was just minding my own business but those boys…those stupid punks just kept teasing me about the god damn Lucky Channel," Akira said, hiccupping and sobbing through her explanation. Konata wiped away the water slipping from Akira's eyes. "They pulled down my skirt and wouldn't stop bothering me. I told them to stop so many times but…they just kept going! I…I lost it and had to beat the crap out of one of them! I just had to! It…it brought so many bad memories about the studios…but…no one understands!"

Immediately, Konata wrapped her arms around Akira. "Shh. Shh. I do. Akira, just relax. I'm here now. We can go home."

"I don't want to come back here! This school sucks! Everyone sucks! I just can't escape anymore!"

"Stop talking like that. Akira, you're coming back tomorrow. You wanted this. You can't quit when it gets hard. You took all those years of punishment and pressure. You're stronger than you think and when you feel like nothing is going well I want you to come home and tell me everything, call me from school or just walk in and hug me and cry or whatever you feel like. You can find a reason to come back."

"Um…excuse me…" a soft voice squeaked. Konata turned back to see Koyomi standing there with shivers in her legs and water in her eyes. "Is Akira going to be okay?"

"Yes. I'm going to take her home. Are you her friend?"

"Y-yes."

"Akira scared you didn't she? When she beat up that kid?"

"Um…a little."

"Yet you came to her anyway? To check up on her? Well, well Akira, looks like you got one reason to come back huh?" Konata smiled, patting her on the pack. Akira chuckled. "Yeah…I guess so."

* * *

Author's Note: Back on schedule! And don't worry about Koyomi being an OC, she won't play too much of a role. It's just that Akira should have at least one friend at school right? And friends need names. But man these are some chunky chapters I've been typing yet my skill has yet to reach the skill I want! It's always so easy to read other people's works and see why it's so great and what makes it so good but when I read my own work I can't seem to point out any new problems.

Author: My Lucky Star folder of images and random media expands daily! I am a true Lucky Star fanatic!

Otaku Helper: The OVA comes out in a few days!

Author: Yes! Yes! YES!! Excitement is violently pumping through my heart! The MMORPG scenes, the girls in frog suits, the interaction with every character, the camping, the cosplays, the dog, the possible chance that some yuri between Konata and Kagami will at least be hinted at! That's it! My heart is going to fast!

OH: Mine too! I'm so excited! Isn't that...author? Author? Why aren't you speaking?

A:...


	3. Chapter 3: Band's Completion

Lucky Music: Moé Café

Chapter 3: Band's Completion

The weekend was closing in on the remaining dry days, leaving the girls in flames as they finished work on their first album's songs. The manager hinted that an opportunity for them had opened up, one they should not refuse. Everything was scheduled for tomorrow: turning in their songs, deciding on the cover art and most importantly, picking a key song to advertise them as a band and develop a theme to play by. Surrounded by plugged fans and a table full of iced drinks, the three girls began work on the selection process.

"Okay, this song was sorta half baked for me," Patricia said, sliding the music sheet into the rejection pile. Konata and Akira inserted their failures as well. Hovering above was the blazing light bulb, currently the only and largest source of heat in the house. Beads of sweat rose from their skin, moving along their round, weary faces. "This is it," Konata determinedly grinned. "The pressure is on. Where heroes are born and losers are eaten away by the flames of battle."

"We just really need to pick a key song to represent us," Akira simplified. A single glance at her now empty glass warned her that her endurance would nearly run out. "We've been at this for hours so let's just pick one."

"Okay, let's start. Everyone pick the one they wrote that would work best," Patricia smiled. "And I'll start! Here's mine! Bubblegum Pop!!"

"Bubblegum Pop?" Akira muttered, baffled by the choice. She waved it off. "It's unique but not unique enough I'm afraid."

Konata shuffled through her songs, picking one out of the pile that brought her the greatest satisfaction. "This one works for me. Ecchi-dere! But we can also rename it to Ecchi-Tsun or Sexy-Tsun. Or even Tsun I'll be Dere! Any of the puns are great."

Patricia shook her head, keeping her song tight within her hands. Nothing matched her perceived theme of the band. Every girl assumed they would sing what they wrote; each girl also assumed that what they created was superior. Pulled from her pocket, Akira victoriously slammed her music sheet onto the center of the table to add to the fire. "Now here is a song that guarantees a hit!" she declared. "Façade's Visage!"

Patricia leaned over the table's side and peeked at it. Secretly she had already prioritized her masterpiece above all else, all she did was fly by the lyrics. Reading Akira's work, she could manage a rejecting frown and glare. "But this song is so angsty compared to everything else. Even Konata's song would be a better choice than this for our band's theme."

"Hey, my song works too. Besides, people love a song like this," Akira explained.

"Well I don't and as a band we should vote," the blonde fussed. Konata lazily grinned, raising her hand into the air. "How can we vote when we'll all vote for our own song?"

"…that's true…." Konata reached for Akira's song and began humming it to herself. Memories of the salmon headed girls' previous works as Lucky Channel's mascot instantly appeared. Akira would be perfect for vocals; she could tell Akira wrote this song for no one else but herself. The lyrics, they were more than enough to explain Akira's motivation behind them. "I can tell Akira's song was written with a lot of emotion," Konata noted. "I can wait for my Tsun I'll be Dere song. I withdraw it and vote for Akira's song."

"But…the angst," Patricia whined.

"It's not that angsty. It's very empowering," Konata smiled, handing it back to Akira. "Besides, Akira has been in the business longer than any of us. She knows what grabs the people so I think we should go with her song for our first album."

"But…"

"Patricia, I like your song too but for now we should probably go with a song that has a greater chance of being a hit, no offense. I think my song has even less of a chance then yours."

That answer didn't satisfy her either. No matter what was told to her, it all meant her song would not be the key song. It was already the beginning of the band's formation and her input was ignored. Konata, still looking at the American's frustrated pout, decided to reassess the situation. The content smile on Akira's face signaled an obstacle she didn't want to face. "Patricia…why don't we put all the songs on the album? My Tsun I'll be Dere and your Bubblegum Pop? We'll make sure the writer and singer are properly labeled and the fans-if we're famous-can decide what the true key song is."

Patricia quietly turned her head away, moaning and keeping her pout strong. It all senses it sounded logical but would it work? Would her song get noticed? Turning back to the others, she could see Konata's face replacing the shrugs that should be in her shoulders. _"Come on Patricia, please agree okay?"_ is what those green eyes asked. "Okay," Patricia replied. "I shouldn't be so focused on my one song but I still don't think it's good for the band's theme."

"Thank you," Konata said. A knocking then came at the door. Rising from her chair, Konata trotted towards the entrance and peeked at the girl outside their apartment. "Hey Konata!" Hiyori cheerfully greeted before taking a glance at the dim apartment behind Konata. "What's going on in there? A black out?"

"Nah, we were just deciding on songs for our album. We came to an agreement at last."

"And looks like someone isn't too happy about it," Hiyori teased, poking Patricia in the cheeks.

"I'm content I guess. I will patiently wait for the day when my song will be chosen for an anime!" Patricia confidently said.

"High hopes," Hiyori nodded, pulling a seat up to the table. She took the liberty of glancing through their selected songs. She had to admit, they were catchy. Experiencing music only through anime though didn't provide sufficient means of deciphering all the notes. Konata locked the door, realizing this was her chance. "Hiyori, since you're here we might as well ask you a favor."

"Hmm?"

Konata sat herself near the otaku, grinning and humming her own song. "We have our key song now but we still need cover art for the album. The studio wants to offer us one but I think it'd be better to trust you to-"

"Well of course I'll do it!" Hiyori excitedly said, leaning towards Konata. "Just tell me what you want and it'll get done. Though I'll probably have to charge a small fee. I need to eat too."

"We understand completely," Konata said. "And thank you. Please take care of our precious album." Quickly, the blue haired petite had finished over half the band business. Akira watched as Konata not only eased the song selection process but pick up a suitable and possibly cheaper artist for their cover. Patricia knew Hiyori well from high school so there would be little argument towards Hiyori's acknowledged talent and Konata was able to prevent a fuss from breaking out over the key song. _"I can see my role has been pushed down to advisor,"_ Akira grinned, looking at the inevitable band leader. Would even Kagami have predicted such a result from her shoulder high lover?

"Another A on my test," Kagami casually said. Tsukasa nearly dropped her books following her sister back to their room. The tsundere was never one to boast loudly about her achievements, a simple quiet mentioning of it was enough. "You've been studying a lot after all," Tsukasa chuckled in shivers, letting her books fall onto the small table on the floor. "But these teachers sure do give a boatload huh?"

"Yeah, it really eats away at my time." Cheerful voices at play rang from outside their windows. Girls spoke with each other and boys ran about, throwing and catching anything they could find. "I don't know how all these people are taking it so lightly."

Sighing at her workload, Tsukasa flipped through the pages of science and mathematics, realizing the notebook she purchased was a thousand pages to small. It became a natural pattern to their life, to hear Tsukasa sigh in woe and for Kagami to turn on her computer in wait for the lazily dazed girl to appear through webcam. "I wonder if…she hasn't been on for hours!" Kagami fussed. "I…I was hoping to see her soon…"

"Don't worry Kagami, I'm sure Konata's thinking about you."

"I'm…I'm not worried about that. I, I know she is. I just wished we had an appointed time or something so I wouldn't be waiting all day." To her, it felt as if nothing could be done until they talked. Though she set the webcam on at all times, she wanted to be there and catch Konata. That feeling and thrill of seeing and speaking to Konata was becoming the highlight of every routine day. Tsukasa on the other hand, made it routine to complain about how math and science had little to do with cooking and asking Kagami why she had to study it.

"I know how to measure and everything. Why do I have to know about the planets and how coral reefs are produced?"

"Tsukasa…it's a little weird for you to be complaining so much," Kagami said, fresh from opening a box of pocky to pass the time. She bit off the tip before, opening the internet browser. "Don't let it all stress you. Take your time; I know you have it in you."

"Thank you onee-chan…I'll try my best." Writing down the first problem, she paused. Kagami busily typed away, emptying the pocky box in minutes. Tsukasa's assignment remained blank, with only her name for a start. "But maybe I still need a little help, right?"

"Sure but don't depend on me forever Tsukasa. We're not in high school anymore."

"Sorry."

"And it's all set!" the manager declared, raising his hand into the air. Konata, Patricia and Akira stepped out of the recording room, shaky about their performance. "What's with those looks?" the manager asked. "Believe me; you girls were great, especially for your first session. Much better than average. Let's just hope your soon-to-be fans will enjoy it as well. They'll be waiting for you this weekend."

"This weekend?" Patricia asked.

"Yes. It's an opportunity that company holds for beginners to show off their music. It's also a good chance to eliminate the weak singers and bands who can't compete," he explained. "A tour across Japan. More specifically, the Lantis New Age Tour, a showcase concert of fresh, new artist who will be judged by the audience that attends."

"That's awesome!" Patricia cheered. "Where are we going? Akihabara?!"

"What? No…we'll be making stops in Hakkaido, Tokyo, of course, and Kyoto."

A spark traveled down through Konata's arms and legs. She had to confirm it after the manager left. Patricia and Akira noticed trembles in her legs. "You okay?" Akira asked.

"Yeah, I'm just….he did say Kyoto right?"

Patricia nodded. Her mind came up blank. "Yeah. Why? Is there something wrong with Kyoto?"

"Kagami goes to school there. I might have a chance to see her face to face and even join bodies for a while."

"K-konata…" Akira muttered.

Author's Note: I'm trying a more casual style to the writing but I don't really know if it's working so make sure to tell me in the reviews. It was kind of hard to get back into writing after the dreadfully bad two weeks that have just passed by. There was always a problem with electricity, the storms, the internet. It took a while to get myself in front of the computer and do it but I got it back. The chapter's a little short because I'm still unsure about the new style. Plus Disgaea 3 has been eating away at my time.


	4. Chapter 4: Meetings of Fate

Lucky Music: Moé Cafe

Chapter 4: Meetings of Fate

Summer mercilessly boiled the city of Tokyo, fighting with full force to delay the fall. Konata poked her exposed stomach, swirling her finger around her belly button. She knew she would have to wash her blanket later, it was wet with sweat. "Stupid air conditioner…" she muttered in annoyance. "But still…"

Little was accomplished today. All three girls scattered across their home, finding the best place to cool down. Patricia's head swarmed with possible methods to end her life, only death could release her from this inferno. Akira decided to wear as little as possible, stretching across the couch and falling asleep to ignore the world around her. At least it was quiet, something Konata needed for the day. "Kagami…"

She rolled over to the edge of the bed, opening her suitcase to find a package of photos. Flipping through the pile, she smiled when her goal was in her hand. "Sweet, sweet Kagami. What a booty," she said, bringing the picture closer. "That's…really big…I just want to squeeze it again!"

She rolled across her bed, hugging the photo of her beloved tsundere. Her head ached with turmoil all day, surprisingly making the heat less noticeable. The tour was planned to hit three cities, one of the being Kyoto where Kagami studied. If Konata were to meet her, would it be like breaking their promise? "She'll be so close! But…the Golden Pavillion. We're supposed to meet up there in a year."

She wanted to surprise her by suddenly showing up without warning but what if such a bold action would only anger Kagami? What if…

"_Why are you here? You're breaking our promise!"_

"_But I wanted to see you."_

"_I want to see you too but didn't we make an agreement? Konata…this…this was just a really bad idea."_

"Kagami isn't like that…" Konata told herself. "But…why can't I shake the feeling that might happen?" Rising from the bed, she stared at her computer. She might as well check her blogs for updates to calm her down. Sliding into the seat, she clicked the internet icon, waiting for her RSS Feed to pop up. "Wait…"

Closing the browser, she moved the cursor over to the webcam command. "Why don't I just talk to her? That's how things could have been better in Higurashi."

"Konata!!" Kagami loudly cheered, turning towards her computer at the sound of Konata's arrival. "Hello lover!" Konata waved. "Any naked Tsukasas for me today?"

"She's a bit busy studying…" Kagami answered. "Where were you last night? I was waiting all night!"

"Miss me so much? I thought Tsukasa was providing all the company you need," teased Konata. She knew what reaction she would get and Kagami's sudden blush flagged it. "Well…it's not like I wouldn't want to talk to you," Kagami nervously said. She span a strand of her pig tail along her finger, glancing over to the side. "I was worried when you didn't contact me."

"Sorry, we were working on our first album. We got the cover art, theme song and everything else finished. Business is going to boom!" Konata gave a thumbs up, winking at her girlfriend. "It's okay. So, how's your day over there? I saw on the news about the heat wave."

"Why are you grinning? I'm suffering but then again you enjoy seeing me in as little clothes as possible. What a man I have chosen!"

"S-shut up."

"Maybe you should match me huh? Take it off my honey!"

"No way! What if you were naked? Should I match you too and….wait, on second thought, you would enjoy that and be naked just for that purpose," Kagami replied.

"Oh, you know me so well! But actually, to be awkward I need to talk about something serious," Konata chuckled.

"Sure thing. What's up?"

"Well, we're going on our first tour to three cities. It's for new bands to be fleshed out and eliminated, that kinda thing."

"Congratulations. I know you'll do great Konata," Kagami kindly said. She could see the wheels were finally moving for Konata.

"Thanks but…" Konata paused, wanting to rethink how she would say this. "Kagami, one of the cities we're touring is Kyoto and…although we promised to meet at the Golden Pavillion, I…really want to see you there but I wanted-"

"Are you serious?" Her expression looked as it could fall into anger or rise into happiness. It was impossible to tell how she would react, even for Konata.

"Kagami…I'm just saying how I feel."

"Of course I want to see you!" Kagami said, louder with how obvious it should have been. Konata fell silent, staring at Kagami in shock. "W-well…wouldn't it be great?"

"Of course it would!" Konata cheered. "So, you really don't have a problem with this?"

"No! I'll buy tickets and Tsukasa and I can cheer you on as you play. Would it be possible to meet…back stage or somewhere else afterwards?"

"The manager's assistant is coming over today so we'll see but this is great! To be honest, I was a little worried you might be upset if I surprised you out of the blue and…it doesn't matter. I can't wait to see you and grab whatever I can! Wear a skirt please."

"Don't order me what to wear."

"If you flash me I'll sing and dance better."

"No! Just enjoy my presence!"

"I will. Thanks Kagamin."

"There's no need to thank me. I…miss you after all."

Konata couldn't stop smiling, the issue was settled and Kagami was more than enthusiastic to see her. Another reason to succeed was added to the otaku's list. The two decided to put the Kyoto meet aside for now, they both knew they barely had an opportune chance to simply talk about their days. Konata still had little idea what classes Kagami was taking and Kagami was never told about Akira's incident at school. Tsukasa would occasionally ask Kagami for help, extending the time the two spent on the webcam by hours. "Sorry about that, Tsukasa has been having a little trouble with her studies," Kagami explained as she returned to her seat.

"It's natural for someone with a big sister like you. I always wondered if-"

"Konata! The assistant is here!" Patricia shouted out.

"Oh! Looks like time's up," Konata said. "I'll be there in a second Patty!"

"I'll see you later then, Konata. It was nice to talk to you for so long," Kagami softly said. "I really missed being with you."

"Me too. I'll see you in Kyoto, my Kagamin." With that, she shut off the webcam atop her laptop and stepped into the living room where a brown hair man awaited her. Konata stopped in her steps, recognizing him immediately. "Well, long time no see."

"The assistant's here?" Akira asked, coming out of her room fully clothed.

"Hey," he friendly greeted, unable to finish his wave the second he saw the pink haired girl. For only a second, Akira lost her breath. What was he doing here? "Minoru? You're the manager's assistant?" she nervously asked.

"Akira-sama...yeah, it's my part time job while I'm working on a new show," he said, coughing a little in his ex-partner's presence. "You…you look like you're doing well. Hope we can work together."

Bowing down before her, he prayed for a verbally abuse-free tour. Watching him rise back, she sucked her teeth and tapped her feet in aggravation. She wasn't really interested in seeing anyone related to Lucky Channel ever again. The two ended on a bad enough note. "Well…I'm glad to see you're doing okay for yourself," she nearly growled. He truly was a nice, even charismatic person. He was just unfortunate to be involved in the same business as her. "You better do a good job of taking care of us."

"I'll do my best, Akira-sama."

"Just call me Akira," she said, smiling with her greatest effort. _"I'll try not to hurt you."_

"You can sit in the living room, I'll bring some tea," Patricia invited, stepping into the kitchen. Though he was glad to take the offer, he waited for Akira to take her seat first. Watching her sit at the couch, he took the chair across from her. "So…um…you'll be traveling by train with several other bands," he started, handing each of them their own ticket. "It should take a little over five hours to reach Kyoto which is the first stop."

Konata leaned forward, eyes bright from the information. "After that we'll head to Hokkaido and come back here to Tokyo where your final show will be."

"Sounds good. We already decided to have Akira sing and are we staying overnight at any stops?" Patricia asked.

"Yes, you will have a hotel room for every stop except Tokyo."

"Yes!" Konata quietly cheered to herself. "You girls can explore the town while I hang out with Kagami and show her how much I miss her."

"How am I supposed to sleep in a room where you two will be joining together?" Akira grunted, knowing something like this would happen. "Not my problem. Love triumphs even the comfort of friends," Konata declared.

"Anyway…" Minoru chuckled. "All expenses will be your own responsibility and the rooms and train will be coach. Is that okay?"

He primarily referred to Akira, who gave off a malevolent grin, almost like a feral chipmunk. It would be adorable if there wasn't such a diabolical aura around it. "S-so…that's pretty much it. Oh! And please make sure to come to the Tokyo Main Train Station by 10 A.M tomorrow."

"We will," Patricia said, placing down a teapot and setting the cups. "Thank you for the hard work."

"No problem. It's my job," he said before burning his tongue on his first sip of tea. "You guys sure have a nice apartment here though."

"The air conditioner's broken," Akira grunted. "But we survive."

"I see."

Rolling her eyes, Akira found herself annoyed at his sincere behavior and apparent trembling fear just by looking at her. Didn't he grow some backbone when they split from Lucky Channel? Suddenly she rose from the couch and aimed her fist at him. Instinctively he moved back, nearly spilling his tea. "I am not going to hit you," she said.

"I'm sorry it's just…"

"Geez. I thought after all that yelling and those smartass remarks you'd have a little more backbone."

"Well…it's just…before you left, those things you said to me at my house…"

"Do you have to mention that?" Akira snapped, sighing and plopping back into the couch. "Forget it. Just…I've changed so you don't have to be afraid anymore. And don't worry about me. I'm fine. If you got something to say, say it."

"I will," he smiled. Finishing off his drink, he grabbed his folder and waved them farewell. "Don't forget to come to the station at 10 A.M."

"We won't lover boy," Konata playfully said.

"Good luck on your tour."

"Good luck with your new job," Akira said, never looking back at him. She scratched her ear and slid further down into the cushions. Konata smiled at her and fixed herself a cup of tea from the table. "And we'll try our best too. This can make or break us."

"Yep! And I wish you good luck for the time you'll be able to spend with Kagami," Patricia said.

"Yep! I'll try my best too," Akira said, grabbing a cup as well. The three gave a toast to the hopes of a future where they could do it again.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, another update! Enjoy yourself. I usually like to type a chapter up after reading Bakuman. Such an insider perspective on the manga world really reminds me of the writing business which motivates me to write more. Also, very important. I hate MKVs! It is literally one of the worst media formats I have ever dealt with. It's constant and neurotic lagging has brought me to the edge. I've installed and uninstalled several codec packages and download countless MKV players but the lagging never fails. If anyone has solutions or a useful method to watching MKVs, I welcome it and thank you in advance.

Kagami: I can't wait to see Konata! Maybe I should wear a skirt...just for her.

Tsukasa: It must be so wonderful to be in love. Hopefully I can meet someone nice when I become a chef.

Kagami: Just don't work at a Erotic Bakery.

Tsukasa: A Neurotic Bakery?

Kagami: Nevermind. It's best you don't know. Konata's starting to corrupt my mind.


	5. Chapter 5:Arrival and Delay

Lucky Music: Moé Café

Chapter 5: Arrival and Delay

"La la, la la la, la la, la la la," Kagami happily sang, shutting her webcam off. Tsukasa scribbled another incorrect answer on the paper before her, leaning closer and closer onto the table below. It was unusual, back at home, Kagami always hummed after talking with Konata. It was routine, Konata would call at night, Kagami would come back to her homework humming and helping her out. Yet this time, this time Tsukasa found the melody to be…irritating. Kagami continued, spinning to the left in the chair, stopping, and then swinging to the right. "La la, la la la, la la, la la la."

"Please be quiet," Tsukasa muttered under her breath. Kagami's inability to hear her annoyed her further though Tsukasa expected it. "Please, please be quiet. This assignment is really hard."

Suddenly an erratic squeak ringed into the air. The chair's spinning sent bolts through her ears; it was as if her sister was trying to ruin her concentration. Kagami's feet began to tap against the floor in rhythm with her singing. "La la la, la la, la la la, la la."

One more mistake, one more wrong answer, one more slight error in anything and Tsukasa knew she would snap. _Snap._ The lead broke off from her pencil, ripping a hole into the paper as she wrote. Kagami's singing started to grow louder. Tsukasa's hands needed something to do, anything to restrain herself. She tapped the pencil against the hard surface, harder and harder every second. This habit had grown ever since she started college classes and today it was beginning to fail its purpose. "Please be quiet onee-chan!" Tsukasa fussed, slamming her pencil against the table.

"Tsukasa…I'm sorry," Kagami said, putting a halt to everything. Serenity quickly melted into concern. "Is everything okay?"

"No, I…I'm sorry," Tsukasa whimpered. Returning to her work, her tired blue eyes slid over to the clock. Throbbing instantly came to her chest. A rush of desperation and anxiety animated her legs. "I-I have to get to work!!" she said in a panic, already heading into the bathroom.

The tsundere could hear her sister slipping onto the floor. "I'll skip the shower," Tsukasa said with a bruise on her arm, already undressing and grabbing her waitress uniform. "Tsukasa, just calm down, okay? You still have plenty of time to get to work."

"But I don't want to be late," whined Tsukasa. She managed to tie the red bowtie correctly this time. At least something went right so far. Opening her drawer, she patted around in search of her name tag. "Where did it go? Kagami, where's my name tag? I left here yesterday."

"Calm down, I'll help you find it," Kagami sighed, kneeling down on the floor beside Tsukasa's bed. Sweeping her fingers across the ground, she felt the flat object hit her nail. "Here you go."

"Thanks. I hope today will be easy, I'm so tired."

"It'll be okay," Kagami smiled, resting her hands on her sister's shoulders. "Just relax. You've been a little tense since we started college. When you come home I'll have dinner ready and a bath, okay?"

"Okay, I'll try my best today!"

"That's the spirit. I'll see you later. Have a good day at work." Tsukasa nodded, running down the dormitory hallways and giving her sister a wave farewell.

"Bye onee-chan! I'll bring back some cake from the restaurant."

"This day is getting better," the purple haired girl smiled, quietly closing the door. Watching her sister head towards the bus stop in front of the college, she waited until it came and Tsukasa left. With both gone, she closed the window and shut the curtains. She hopped into her bed and hugged her pillow tightly. Anyone walking near her door would hear the joyous squeals ringing from her smile. "Konata's coming! She's coming to Kyoto!"

* * *

"I'm coming baby!" Konata yelped out as she took her place in front of the others. Their train tickets checked out and the only hindrance between her and Kagami was time and the remaining distance to the train. Patricia and Akira desperately gasped for air in chase of their band leader, swinging their instruments and luggage along. "Wait for us!" Patricia pleaded. She could only watch Konata already step onboard, almost as if to leave them behind.

Walking down the aisle, Konata caught sight of a brown patch at the head of her seat. "Minoru?"

"Oh! Konata, you're here," he said in a fluster. Peeking behind her, he was struck with curiosity from the emptiness. "Where's the rest of the band?"

"Konata!" Patricia fussed, dropping her items onto the floor. "This isn't a convention, you can't run! I barely slept at all from the excitement." With those words her frustration flew into a flowery excitement as she absorbed the atmosphere around her. Putting aside her song not being chosen as the theme she found herself nearly breathless with Kyoto only a few hours away. Tonight would be their first live performance. At least she would be seen, at least she could play.

"It's a little high," Akira muttered, stretching her arms to put away her luggage on the higher shelves. With only that voice in his ears, Minoru found it impossible to speak. Silently, he watched as Konata placed a hand under the girl's bag, lifting it to the shelf. "There we go," Konata sighed. "All done."

"You seem taller than before," Akira remarked, squinting at the girl beside her.

"I do feel a bit taller, maybe with this ponytail my hair is all focused in one place instead of weighing me down," Konata grinned, unraveling the bow. Everyone seemed to pause to watch the waterfall of blue hair fall behind her legs once again. "Well, we should all take our seats. The train's going to depart in a few minutes," Minoru explained. "I should explain the scheduling with you all."

Every seat was occupied excluding one, the one next to Patricia. Akira stood next to Konata who found herself sitting next to Minoru. "What's up Akira?" Konata asked, noting the pout on her expression.

"Move Minoru," Akira sternly commanded.

"Huh? Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, I want to sit next to Konata."

"O-okay," he said, willingly removing himself from the seat and sitting next to Patricia. He didn't completely understand why he did it, why he obeyed so simply. "Anyway…we'll be in Kyoto in about three to four hours and there will be about an hour of preparation and practice before the actual event."

"What about afterwards?" Konata asked, pulling her head back.

"Afterwards is up to you," Minoru explained. "Just head to the hotel, show them I.D and you'll be able to access your room. Just please come to the train station tomorrow at noon or else you'll delay the show. But good luck! If there's anything you'll need I'm here to help."

"We're in good hands huh?" Konata smiled. Akira chuckled, gazing out the window once the train began to move. Minoru had ended another conversation with yet another humble and modest promise. He sat back down in his new seat, hoping the new silence meant they were content and not annoyed by his attitude. For everyone, though, the ride was nothing short of relaxed. Konata made sure to pack snacks for everyone and busied herself with preemptive thoughts of Kagami.

Patricia sung to herself, bouncing with the words of her own song, moving her feet to a different tune than the song planned for tonight. Akira spent her time watching images of Japan flash by her eyes. Excluded from this serenity was Minoru, whose focus continued on the pink haired girl across from him.

She was so silent and oddly calm. There would be moments where she would talk and laugh with Konata, pointing out the window like a child or leaning over her friend's shoulder to watch her play the Nintendo DS. _"What happened to Akira?"_ he wondered to himself.

Brimming in his mind was the memory of their conversation long ago, before she left to Tokyo. She had made the effort to visit him and even apologize for the way she treated him. Never going into detail about it, the reason for her hostility against him was the unfortunate memories that came with the show. In other words, from the cracking voice she spoke with on that day and the blurs of human sadness in her eyes, they were memories he would never understand and that swept away the rage he held towards her, reverting him back to his kind, quiet self.

"_She seems happy now, but…what could have made her like that?" _Every day since that fateful apology, he felt a deep pit swelling inside his chest. He regretted ever letting Akira take control of that conversation and simply walking out like that. His translation of their paths crossing over coincidentally once again, in this band, was _fate_.

* * *

"Tsukasa, I have some great news," Kagami excitedly hummed as her sister returned from her classes. Her sister could only react with a dull sigh while dropping her backpack on the ground and her books on the table. Kagami noticed the small curves under Tsukasa's eyes; hopefully the news would be enough to brighten her dim face. "I was waiting to surprise you. Konata's band is going to play at the South Center tonight!!"

"Really?" Tsukasa asked, raising her head in disbelief.

"Yep! I already bought tickets for us. I figured you probably need a break from all your studying and work," Kagami proudly stated, waving the tickets by her face. Tsukasa could only nod in agreement. This really was a wonderful surprise. "Well, I have more motivation to study now and finish up early," she happily said with a new found brightness in her expression.

"Good. And I'll pay for everything tonight so you just hurry up and finish." Tsukasa immediately dove into her work afterwards, keeping the reunion with Konata in the side of her head. Afternoon classes were nearly over and evening was only a handful of hours away. Kagami excitedly walked about the room, rummaging through her closet for the perfect outfit. The feeling of wanting to look her best for Konata poured right back in, giving off a radiant glow in her smile. "I should probably wear something that can easily be taken off. I know what Konata wants to do."

Planning and preparations extended into the evening with Kagami finally able to choose a single outfit. She made certain to use the best soap; shampoo and body wash in the shower and unlocked the forbidden cosmetics she kept for special occasions. Adjusting her ribbons one last time in front of the mirror, she could see Tsukasa still sitting at the desk. "Tsukasa, you better get ready soon. The show starts in two hours and I want to at least be there an hour early."

"….."

"Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa kept her head down, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she let out a few sniffles. Kagami watched from the desk, noticing wet spots on her sister's nearly blackened papers. "Tsukasa…what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry…onee-chan," she mumbled wetly. "I can't do anything right. Not a single thing."

Kagami instantly headed for the small desk, kneeling next to her sister. Leaning over her shoulder, Kagami could see the endless errors and scratches scattered everywhere on every page. The same problems were rewritten dozens of times and much of the page had been scribbled over. The saddest reality Kagami could see was that nothing was correct. Tsukasa pulled back the sheets under her arm, still hiding her face. "I'm just stupid. I tried and thought my hardest on these all day and still got them wrong!"

"Tsukasa…"

"And this is only the first term. What am I going to do when it gets harder? All I want to do is cook. Why do I have to take these other stupid classes?!"

"Tsukasa, calm down. You'll get better," Kagami nervously chuckled. "Besides, you're not stupid. I know what you can do."

She rose from the table and returned to the mirror. "Just put it aside for now and get ready. Going out for a while might help you relax and you can tackle the homework when we get back."

"I'm not…even done with my first assignment yet," Tsukasa grimly muttered. The hopelessness in her voice grew with the silence. Only the sound of her pencil waved through the air. "I'm staying…"

"What?! Come on Tsukasa, it's not that bad. You have to see Konata."

"No I don't. You're her girlfriend, she won't mind if I'm not there."

"That's not true. Konata loves being with you. She'll be disappointed if you don't come."

Tsukasa continued her fruitless work, roughly erasing another incorrect answer. Kagami quietly watched, waiting for a response. "I have to do this or else I'll have a bad grade early in the term."

"Tsukasa…don't stress yourself out."

"It's hard! I'm stupid!!"

"Well excuse me for trying to help you out!" Kagami fussed. The argument ended there, both turning their heads away from each other. Tapping her foot, the tsundere waited for an apology or anything at all but her sister remained quiet, scribbling again with that pencil. The answer was quickly erased. Kagami watched in disgust at the torment the girl looped herself into. Was it really that hard for her to complete one assignment? "Whatever. I'm going by myself," Kagami coldly stated, snatching her wallet and shutting the door behind her. Tsukasa stopped her writing, waiting only a few seconds before letting her pencil drop. She swung her arm against the table, pushing everything onto the ground. Louder than she knew, she cried in her arms, mourning her own stupidity. "Stupid classes!! I'm going to fail…the first term and I'm going to fail…"

Kagami kept her back against the door, listening as Tsukasa's shaky voice confessed everything. "I can't even understand all of this and it's only the first week…I'm so stupid!! I'm so stupid!! I knew I shouldn't have come here…Kagami's the only reason I passed high school…I just…I just want to quit."

"Tsukasa…" Kagami quietly interrupted, walking back into the room. Sitting beside her sister, she slid her arms underneath Tsukasa's and wrapped them softly around her back. One hand rubbed her back, the other her hair. "You're not stupid. Don't ever think that."

"But…b-but…"

"Shh. Shh. It's okay. I'll help you with your work tonight. Just…don't let college get the best of you okay? You're not stupid Tsukasa. You're not."

"But…what about Konata?" Tsukasa gently asked, holding on tightly to her sister. "I don't want you to stay here just for me."

"It's okay. Konata will understand. Plus, I might have some time left. Let's just start working okay?" Kagami smiled, picking up the scattered papers off the floor. Tsukasa sniffed loudly, not knowing what to do. Kagami chuckled and wiped away the tears from her eyes. "Come on, don't make me do this by myself," she playfully said.

"_Thank you onee-chan. _I'm sorry."

"Sure is freezing at night," Konata said, hopping off the train. The others lagged behind with their luggage and instruments. Patricia was able to keep pace with Konata the further away from the train they got. Adrenaline and excitement coursed through her body as the band's first live performance was only hours away. Akira left her bag next to Minoru, hinting for him to pick it up. "I'm just a slave huh?"

"This is it! Our first big performance!" Patricia squealed.

"I'm more excited about seeing Kagami," Konata replied. "I've waited so long to talk to her again and ravage her young body, no, in this situation she would ravage me. I can't wait! I wonder how school has been for her and Tsukasa."

"I guess we're all here for different reasons right?"

"Figured it out huh?" Konata smugly asked.

"I know…I was getting a little carried away about the theme song for the album," Patricia chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're here for Kagami, Akira's here to be away from her parents and I'm here…just because I want to be famous and have fun."

"Oh Kagami, you'll be cheering me on from the crowd and then I can make you feel better than everyone by taking you back stage or better yet, bring her on stage with me!"

"Don't worry if you don't see her in the crowd," Akira suggested. "You need to be more focused on the performance. This trip is meant to eliminate and judge the bands that lack potential."

"Right, right. But if I started bursting with energy and glowing, it's because I saw Kagami!"

* * *

Kagami: Hold him down.

Author: Where am I? Who are you people?

WHACK!

Kagami: That's for asking questions. This is for delaying your fic!

Author: Gaah!!!

Kagami: You gonna update regularly from now on?

Author:….

Kagami: I can't hear ya?! HUH?!

Author:…y-yes….I'll adjust my schedule…I'm already getting more sleep and working hard…

Konata: That's enough Kagami.

WHACK!

Author: Aaaah!!!


	6. Chapter 6: I Missed You

Lucky Music: Moe Café

Chapter 6: I Missed You

Arriving at the community center, Minoru and the girls found themselves surrounded by dozens of different bands all working for the same company. Not all would be successful; Minoru explained earlier that the usual elimination rate is fifty percent. Patricia could spot girl bands with costume designs that almost matched their own. The singers practiced their band's key song loud enough for them to hear, mostly J-Pop. Akira's unique Cape of Thirty Years creation began to shine above the others. Their song was guaranteed to stand out, that, Patricia now had confidence in.

A blend of shivers and warmth spiraled into the girls as they prepared their instruments at their designated spot. Minoru stood by to assist them with anything they may need. "It's getting pretty intense in here isn't it?" Patricia asked, tightening the strings on her guitar. "Yeah, but remember to keep your cool," Akira grunted, opening the song sheet.

"I'm just excited!" Konata declared. "I wonder how close to the stage Kagami is! I can't wait to see her cheering for me."

"Pfft. Look at this dump, though," Akira mumbled, seeing it more as an expanded garage than a community center. She was already successful and held a moderate reputation, shouldn't her experience and fame have accelerated the band to the top instead of slowly going through a series of trials? "I've always had my own dressing room, even when I was a kid. And this place smells like ass."

"I'm sorry but there's so many bands these days that the hotel rooms alone were costly," Minoru explained. Akira glared at him, silencing him with only her eyes. Bands began to leave the room, one by one every few minutes. Their performances could be heard along with crowd cheers and boos. A band of teenage girls came out crying after one the strings of their guitar snapped in mid-performance. Unfortunately it was over for them already. "Crying just from that? They'll get two more chances in the next cities."

"Looks like that was the band before you guys," Minoru said. "You're up!"

"Come on guys! Let's do our best!" Patricia cheered.

"Yeah! For Kagami!"

"For money and smokes!"

"Good luck girls."

Running onto stage, Akira took her place upfront, grabbing the mike. Patricia and Konata held tightly onto their guitars, hearing the cheers and welcoming applause of the audience. Trembles traveled down Patricia's legs but a thumbs-up from Konata lessened the impact. Akira stood confidently before the crowd, ready to show them what she could do. Konata, however, was too busy skimming the cluster of the people in search of Kagami. There weren't any cheers or call outs for her; did Kagami make it on time?

"Oh well, I'm sure she'll at least hear me even if she can't see me," Konata told herself. Patricia began the first notes on her guitar, the song had begun. Akira kept a good grip on the mike, singing angelically to the people below her. Konata began playing her directed notes, complimenting Patricia's and forming a synched melody. Walking across the stage elegantly with slow and steady motions, Akira attracted the crowd not only through her lovely voice but with her movements. As far as they could tell the crowd was silent with awe. The song differed from anything else they heard tonight, isolating it from the J-Pop selection and giving the band a clear distinction.

"_Where's Kagami?"_ Konata thought to herself. _"There's no way she forgot. What if something happened to her and she can't even contact me about it?"_

Her bright green eyes navigated the crowd several more times, unable to find anyone who remotely looked like Kagami. A screech ripped from Konata's guitar. Examining her guitar, her fingers became entangled in the string. Patricia stopped playing but Akira rolled her index finger, signaling that the show must always go on. Konata managed to adjust the strings and finish the song properly with Akira and Patricia. The crowd roared with excitement and satisfaction! Akira's song worked. Victory was practically in their hands.

Walking off stage, Patricia and Akira couldn't think of anything that could wipe the thrilled grins off their faces. "They loved us! Did you hear that?!" Patricia screamed.

"We did it. The song worked."

"That was great, you guys did a terrific job!" Minoru complimented.

"Oh my god! Even though we messed up, we fixed it and they still loved us!!"

"Actually, it was just Konata who messed up," Akira pointed out. "I think she was looking for Kagami."

"I didn't see or hear her at all in the crowd," Konata muttered. "She hasn't called me either."

"Why don't you just call her?" Patricia suggested.

"Good idea," Konata said, hitting speed dial on her phone. "Kagami?"

"Hi Konata. Did your band already play?"

"Y-yes. We just finished. Where are you, I didn't see you at all," Konata asked, walking further away from the band. Kagami sighed, standing in the hallway of the dormitory, away from her room. "Konata, Tsukasa is really having a lot of trouble with her classes and she needed my help badly. I'm sorry I couldn't make it."

"But I really wanted to see you," Konata quietly said. "It's been so long."

"I know, I wanted to come to but Tsukasa was on the edge of having a breakdown. I couldn't leave her like that."

"At least we can meet later right?"

"….I don't know, Konata."

"Kagami…I was really excited about seeing you. Are you sure?"

"I really don't know Konata. I really want to see you too," Kagami reassured, pacing up and down the hall. She could hear Konata's voice drown into disappointment with each word. The chance to be with each other was a rare one. Tonight wouldn't happen for a while. "Are you okay Konata? I'm really sorry."

"…yeah. I'm fine," Konata moaned. "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, bye Konata."

The otaku snapped the phone shut, shoving it into her pocket. Kagami heavily sighed. This long distance relationship was beginning to have its toll on them. "Hey Konata," Patricia called out. "We're going to get dinner, are you coming?"

"I don't know. I'm not really hungry."

"Just come with us okay? It'll make you feel better. I'm sorry you couldn't see Kagami by the way. I know how much you were looking forward to it."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Akira excitedly popped out a cigarette, using this opportunity while Konata was away to commence with her dreadful habit. Minoru simply stood by and watched as she walked outside to hide her secretive deed. Following her, he stood silently as she puffed a cloud of smoke into the night air. "What the hell you want?" she asked, not even turning to look at him.

"I…just wanted to say you did a good job tonight."

"Leave me alone. I'd like to enjoy my cigarette in peace before Konata comes and takes it away from me," Akira grunted, taking in another breath from the stick. He turned around, nearly obeying her orders once again. _"Geez. I thought after all that yelling and those smartass remarks you'd have a little more backbone."_

"Akira, I've been meaning to ask you…about Lucky Channel," he started, keeping his feet in one spot. "What happened there that…made you this way?"

"Why the hell do you care?"

"I used to not like you very much. I tired my best and eventually tolerated you, hoping to get on your good side," he began to explain. His fists were clenched and he already braced himself for an argument, even for more abuse. "But before you came to Tokyo you apologized to me and said things in your life weren't so good. I see you in a new light and would like to apologize for assuming you were just a bad person. I want to settle things between us."

"Sure you just don't have a boner?" she drunkenly asked.

"What?! I'm….I'm really worried about you!" he quickly defended. "I know it sounds stupid but it can't just be coincidence that we keep meeting each other. It feels like fate almost."

"That's crap," she ruthlessly remarked, walking back towards the building. "Konata is the only person I need to talk to and listen to. Don't waste my time with this shit again."

Minoru grinded his teeth, feeling another loss at the hands of Akira. This would be, what, the third, fourth time she walked away from him? It was becoming a trademark for the two and this time he wouldn't have it. "Something must be wrong," he said. "Because little girls shouldn't be talking or acting like you. I think you need to talk to me in a more proper manner."

"Bitch. Should a man be so cowardly and pathetic like you, you little kiss ass?"

"I agree. I'm not perfect; I'm probably not as talented as I want to be but at least I'm trying to change. I'm not stuck in the past like others."

Akira tossed her cigarette onto his shoe. Slowly, with all the spite in her little body, she grinded her heel into his foot. "Listen to me, you have no idea what I've gone through or who I am. Don't try and be some hero. I don't want to be your friend so screw you," she coldly muttered to his face. Her voice began to swell up. Her eyes watered. "Konata loves me, Konata is helping me change. Konata has treated me better than anyone I know and I'm going to do my best for this band so she can have lots of money and live a good life with Kagami, even if it means I don't get to. Because…I'll be happy just with her. You'll never understand me and I don't want you to."

There was no way to respond. He did know nothing but was it so wrong to confront her about it? Lending out a helping hand became his greatest flaw each and every day. "Sorry," he said but Akira had already gone back inside. "I lost control of myself."

"C'mon, let's go eat in celebration!" Patricia cheered, returning with Konata. Akira wiped away her eyes and joined them, leaving their instruments behind to pick up later. Minoru reluctantly joined them, walking far behind them down the sidewalk. "I haven't really been to Kyoto that often," Patricia said, clearly the only one in high spirits. Konata slowly relaxed her nerves, realizing the situation she was in. Reviewing how she acted, she pulled out her cellphone. "Kagami?"

"Konata?"

"I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted. I got upset but…you really needed to help out your sister so, I'm sorry," Konata said.

"There's nothing forgive. I can't blame you for being upset. But guess what?"

"What?"

"She fell asleep. We can meet whenever you want." A bright grin exploded onto Konata's face at the sound of those words. Kagami was free! "That's great! Where are you right now Kagami?"

"Behind you."

Konata spun around; it felt like a season since she was towered by Kagami's pig tailed shadow. The tsundere smiled sweetly at the petite girl, not wanting to blink so her glowing blue eyes could embrace every second. "How's it going Konata?"

Konata answered with a hug, cuddling into Kagami's chest. "Kagami…"

"I've missed you too Konata. A lot…"

"Let's go on a date."

"Right now?"

"When else? Sorry guys, you're going to have to celebrate without me," Konata said, glancing at her band mates before returning to Kagami's chest. "We understand completely," Patricia said.

"Have fun," Akira replied.

"Let's go Kagami! I'm starved!"

"Maybe I should leave too," Minoru added, already heading back to the hotel. Patricia wouldn't have it, pulling him by the arm. "I'm not even part of the band. Tonight was your effort."

"Who cares? You helped coordinate us! C'mon!" Looking at Akira, he could see she no longer paid him any attention. If he was going to suffer, he might as well be full. "Sure…"

Walking through the city, Konata kept her arm wrapped around Kagami's, feeling the memories flow in of when they used to do this everyday. "I'm really happy to see you again, my Kagamin."

"Me too. I've…felt lonely without you. Even with Tsukasa, I wanted…you. I keep checking the webcam to see if you're there."

"How lonely, just like a rabbit," Konata chuckled.

"Teasing me already? Where do you want to eat?"

"You live here, guide me!"

"I know a place you'll definitely love then," Kagami hummed. Heading down past the city library, the two snuggled closer together. Konata's arm slipped around Kagami's waist, allowing more room for her to get closer. Kagami could feel her hair swirling with Konata's. _"It really has been too long since we've done this," _Kagami thought to herself. "Here we are, the Cake and Delights Factory Diner."

"Sounds like a place for greedy princesses," Konata teased. The two walked in and found a table instantly. Kagami made sure to sit next to Konata instead of across from. "So how's Tsukasa?" Konata asked.

"She's not doing so well. She's having trouble with all her classes and was getting really stressed with it. Combined with a job…I found her crying by herself in her room," Kagami explained. "That's why I couldn't leave her like that. Sorry about that."

"There's nothing to forgive," Said the otaku, resting her head on Kagami's shoulder. "How was the performance anyway? I wished I had seen it."

"It was great! Akira's song got the people excited. I messed up a little because I was too busy trying to look for you in the crowd, hoping to get me a flash of that chest! Grope!"

"L-let go! Not in public like this!"

"Heh, heh. I missed this warmth, Kagami. This love from you. I just want to melt right here with you."

"I couldn't agree more Konata." Caressing Konata's face with her soft, cold hands, Kagami could feel them heating up in seconds. Slowly, she leaned in and kissed her. Ordering became awkward for the maid who would walk back and forth, checking to see if they were ready to order yet. The kissing seemed endless. After the meal, they returned to the cold city night. "You're really good Kagami. All that kissing makes me need a new pair of underwear."

"Konata! That's a little extreme. But…I was thinking…maybe we could get a room…at a love hotel."

"You would want that?" Konata asked. "I see, you've been lusting for some loli."

"It doesn't have to lead to…_that_. But if it does, I wouldn't mind." Kagami hesitantly explained. "I understand Kagami. Anything is good, as long as I'm with you tonight."

"We were awesome!" Patricia excitedly declared, holding her spoonful of ice cream into the air. To her dinner must have meant go to an ice cream store and eat like a pig. Minoru sat across from the two girls, picking at his banana split. "We were so great! I just can't get enough of it! Our first big performance!"

"It was also because of Akira's singing too," Minoru added. Akira sucked her teeth, not raising her head at all. "Be nice Akira," Patricia said, poking the salmon headed girl with her elbow. "Minoru's so nice to us."

"I know…he really is nice." Akira softly said. "I'm just tired."

Minoru felt a smile stretch across his face. _"I'll wait for when you're ready to tell me everything."_

"Let's take a bath together," Konata insisted, bursting into the love hotel room. Kagami locked the door and quickly followed the leader into the bathroom where she was already naked. "Let was too fast!"

"Jump in Kagami! Be nude with me!"

"Well, you better move or else there won't be room. You're supposed to be on top of me," Kagami said, noticing the perverted grin rising on Konata's face. It only took the blink of an eye for Kagami to realize what she said. "You know what I mean."

"Come on in then," Konata invited, standing up for Kagami to sit down. Once in, she could feel Konata's small, warm body press against her front. Her blue hair became a smooth blanket. "You smell nice," Konata commented, closing her eyes.

"And you're as soft as ever," Kagami smiled. The two were silent, staring at each other without saying a word. Suddenly the two wrapped their arms around each other and began to kiss anywhere and anything. Rubbing and holding each other, they nibbled and wiggled about at a gentle pace. "I've missed you too much!" Konata said.

"Me too! I miss holding you and listening to you sleep. You're the one I want to see everyday and tell everything to."

"I miss this chest and that tsundere part of you. I miss the sweetness," Konata hummed.

"Konata…do you really think we can last with this long distance relationship? Look at us," Kagami said. "We're so crazy for each other. We've been through a lot and I just want to be with you no matter what."

"I know…but we can make this work. It's only a year anyway. The band is already doing good on its first performance and we can still talk to each other." Kagami wrapped her arms around Konata, bringing her closer to Kagami. "I just want to be with you," she said. "Look, I still have our promise ring."

"I know you do," Konata said with a smile. "I know."

Stepping out of the bath, the two came out in light robes. Kagami sat on the bed, tapping her fingers. "Do you…want to?"

"Have sex?"

"Don't say it so bluntly!"

"Kagami, I just want to be with you. Tonight feels like a miracle already."

"That's…unexpected," Kagami said. "You, denying making love?"

"I'm not denying. If you want to, I can ravage you easily."

"No, I just want to hold you too."

"Patricia," Konata called out, placing her cellphone next to her ear. "Yeah, I'm staying overnight with Kagami at a love hotel. Yes, yep. I'll meet you guys at the train station, don't forget my stuff. There Kagami, lets cuddle into the sweet morning!" With that, Konata hopped into bed, blending with Kagami and falling asleep to the sound of her heartbeat. Kagami was next, entranced by Konata's calm breathing. In the middle of the night, Konata awoke. Holding Kagami's hand, she saw the promise ring on her lover's finger. "I'm going to do my best to upgrade this to an engagement ring."

Little did Konata know, Kagami was still awake.

Packed away and fully dressed, Konata joined her band the next morning at the train station with her luggage awaiting her. Kagami came to say goodbye, praying for another meeting as soon as possible. "See ya," Konata said, hugging Kagami tightly. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Do your best and have fun. And don't forget to call me when you get home."

"I won't Kagami. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Uh oh, the train's getting ready to leave!" Patricia cried out.

"Bye Kagami! I'll see you when I'm a little more famous! I'll invite you backstage! E my groupie!" Konata shouted out as the train doors separated the two. "I will! Bye Konata! Good luck!! I…really can't wait to see you again. I miss you already."

* * *

Konata: Why are you so happy?

Author: I actually had the nerve to google my fanfic's names. They actually appear on other people's websites! Some of them were listed as "Currently Reading" on Deviantart, some were reviewed on Wordpress, others were scattered across the place. No matter the opinions or discussion points, I was happy to see my stories being discussed with such a distance.

Kagami: What's your point? What kind fo author takes up a whole note just to brag?

Author: I'll be quiet...

Kagami: Yes, please work on more fics. We want our happy ending now!


End file.
